The first dive down to the Titanic in nearly 15 years has witnesses saying the sunken ship is deteriorating quickly.
According to the BBC, an international team of deep-sea explorers made five submersible (submarine) dives to survey the wreckage.
The outlet reported that parts of the wreck were in “surprisingly good shape,” while some of the worst decay was seen near the officers’ quarters.
The captain’s bathtub, which was one of the most-recognizable images for Titanic enthusiasts, is now gone, according to one historian.
“The Titanic is returning to nature,” Parks Stephenson told the BBC.
"Titanic is returning to nature"
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) August 21, 2019
Parts of the wreck are now deteriorating rapidly
[Tap to expand] https://t.co/O4TUkYIZP4 pic.twitter.com/jL2MC2cijD
Apparently, strong ocean currents, salt corrosion and metal-eating bacteria have devoured the ship.
The most-recent Titanic voyage was carried out by the same team that made the deepest-ever plunge to the bottom of the Mariana Trench, which is about 7 miles below the Pacific Ocean’s surface.
The ship lies 2.3 miles on the floor of the Atlantic Ocean about 370 miles off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada.
Its maiden voyage turned tragic after the vessel — the largest passenger ship at the time — hit an iceberg after leaving from Southampton to New York in 1912.
With the recent discovery of the pace at which the wreckage is deteriorating, “It is not a matter of if, but when the Titanic disappears for good,” according to Australia’s “Today Show.”
Titanic fanatics will be given a closer look at the shipwreck as divers return to the vessel for the first time in nearly 15 years. #9Today pic.twitter.com/3Hnsf8J18c
— The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) August 21, 2019
Still, this could be decades from now, according to the “CBS Evening News.”
Explorers on the first manned voyage to see the Titanic's wreckage in ~15 years were astonished by its rapid decay, as time & tides have swept away parts of the ship.
— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) August 21, 2019
Researchers say it could be decades before the ship has vanished.
Here's @charliecbs https://t.co/YhQ3cG88mF pic.twitter.com/npx9CiR7oT
